The post Empowering Financial Futures appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>Summer is almost here, and while the school doors may be closed, the opportunity for learning remains wide open! The Pathway to Financial Success program is dedicated to empowering students with essential financial literacy skills, and summer is the perfect time to elevate this initiative. Let’s dive into how we can support students during these sunny months and ensure they continue to build a brighter financial future.
Pathway to Financial Success, supported by Discover Financial Services and Discovery Education, has been making a significant impact on financial literacy. The program is designed to bring financial education into classrooms across the country, providing funding for curriculum, materials, and teacher training. The goal is simple: equip students with the skills they need to succeed long after they leave the classroom.
Why Summer Learning Matters: Summer learning is crucial to prevent the “summer slide,” where students lose academic skills gained during the school year. By integrating financial education into summer activities, we can keep students engaged and help them retain valuable knowledge. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to make learning fun and relevant!
Strategies for Summer Learning
To keep students engaged and learning throughout the summer, it’s essential to incorporate fun and interactive financial education activities. Here are some effective strategies to ensure students continue to build their financial literacy skills during the summer months:
- Interactive Workshops: Host engaging workshops that combine financial education with hands-on activities. Think budgeting games, investment simulations, and money management challenges. These can be held at community centers, libraries, or even online.
- Reading Programs: Encourage students to explore books and resources on financial literacy. Partner with local libraries to create a summer reading list focused on money management, saving, and investing. Audiobooks and interactive e-books can also be great tools for learning on the go.
- Family Involvement: Get families involved by providing resources and activities they can do together. Create fun challenges like “Family Budgeting Week” or “Savings Goals Month” to foster a collaborative learning environment at home.
- Online Learning Platforms: Utilize online platforms like Khan Academy, Duolingo, or Scratch to offer courses and modules on financial topics. These platforms provide interactive and engaging content that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
Support Teens This Summer with Financial Goals
Summer is a special time for teens as they embark on exciting adventures to test the waters on what it’s like to be independent and away from home. Here are a few resources that can help families support their teens this summer—from establishing good credit and strong savings to considering career options and life beyond high school!
Summer is a time for fun, growth, and learning. By integrating financial education into summer activities, we can help students stay engaged, retain valuable skills, and build a foundation for a successful financial future.
Let’s make this summer a season of empowerment with the Pathway to Financial Success program!
DE Staff
The post Empowering Financial Futures appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post How Schools and Corporations Can Work Together to Build Student Career Readiness appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, preparing students for their future careers is more critical than ever. While textbooks and standard curricula provide foundational knowledge, connecting students with industry professionals can ignite curiosity, inspire career exploration, and build essential career readiness skills. Here’s how educators and corporations can work together to bridge the gap between classrooms and the workforce, especially when using platforms like Discovery Education’s Career Connect.
The Importance of Career Readiness
Career readiness is about equipping students not only with the academic knowledge they need but also with the practical skills and insights that will enable them to thrive in their chosen fields. Enhancing student career readiness involves engaging students with real-world experiences and professional insights. This approach helps students understand the relevance of their studies and envision potential career paths.
According to the Hechinger Report and surveys from American Student Assistance, a nonprofit focused on career readiness, about two-thirds of high school graduates said they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle or high school. Additionally, 80% of high school guidance counselors said their students were “overwhelmed” by decisions about college and career. By incorporating career readiness programs earlier in education, we can better align student skills with employer expectations, ultimately enhancing employability and career confidence and success.
Why should corporations get involved in fostering students’ career readiness?
Build a Stronger Workforce for the Future: Corporations play a crucial role in shaping students’ career readiness by sharing insights and opportunities. By collaborating with educational institutions, they can provide valuable resources and mentorship that bridge the gap between academia and the workforce. This partnership not only equips students with essential skills but also helps companies cultivate a talent pool that meets their future needs.
Strengthen Employee Engagement Through Volunteerism: Corporations have a unique opportunity to contribute to student career readiness by encouraging their employees to share their expertise with students. Employee volunteerism programs provide a win-win situation for both the community and the company. Companies that support skills-based volunteer programs benefit from increased employee engagement and retention, while students gain valuable insights into potential career paths. A virtual platform like Career Connect is designed to connect skilled industry volunteers with K-12 classrooms, offering a streamlined solution for educators and professionals to collaborate.
How can schools engage students with industry professionals?
Implement a career readiness program: Introducing students to industry professionals through a career readiness program can profoundly impact their future career choices. For example, when students hear directly from a software engineer about their daily challenges and successes, they can better understand what a career in technology entails. This firsthand knowledge can spark a student’s interest in a particular field and motivate them to pursue related studies.
When developing a career readiness program, here are key steps to consider:
1. Assess Student Needs: Before launching a career readiness program, it’s essential to understand the specific needs and interests of your students. Conduct surveys or focus groups to gather insights into the careers they’re interested in and the skills they want to develop.
2. Partner with Corporations: Reach out to local businesses and corporations to explore potential partnerships. Many companies, like those who partner with Discovery Education, are eager to support education initiatives and can provide valuable resources and expertise.
3. Utilize Platforms like Career Connect: Leverage platforms like Career Connect to facilitate interactions between students and professionals. These platforms offer many resources and simplify the process of organizing and scheduling sessions.
4. Prepare Students: Ensure that students are well-prepared for their interactions with professionals. Provide them with background information on the professionals they’ll be meeting and encourage them to develop thoughtful questions.
5. Collect Feedback: After each session, gather feedback from students and professionals to assess the program’s impact and identify areas for improvement. Continuous evaluation and refinement will help ensure the program’s success.
Building student career readiness is a collaborative effort that requires the support of educators, corporations, and the community. By leveraging the expertise of industry professionals and utilizing innovative platforms, we can inspire the next generation of professionals and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
The post How Schools and Corporations Can Work Together to Build Student Career Readiness appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post Bringing Industry Innovators to Classrooms with Career Connect by Discovery Education appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>At Discovery Education, we are always looking to meet educator’s needs. Educators require flexible, reliable, and high-quality services that fit in wherever learning takes place and really ignite student curiosity. We know that when students have early exposure to careers, it transforms how they explore and enter the workforce. Yet research shows that 83% of today’s learners can’t connect the skills they have and learn in school to future employment. Career Connect represents a new model in education in which career awareness and exposure start as a first stitch in the fabric of learning.
We’re offering a new solution that will drive student engagement by helping both educators and private sector partners better connect students to real-life experiences.
Career Connect is a groundbreaking new platform that connects educators to the industries, people, and skills that power our world. Career Connect breaks down barriers between companies and classrooms, directly connecting Discovery Education’s educators to our partners’ workforce like never before.
With Career Connect, teachers can request virtual classroom visits from industry professionals based on job types, industries, language preferences, and location. In addition, this new digital platform provides companies with a unique workforce development and employee engagement solution that supports their social impact strategy. Initial partners include Sanofi and Genentech whose workforce volunteers are currently on the platform ready to connect with educators.
Discovery Education is the worldwide education technology leader. Our K-12 team works to provide access to cutting-edge, multi-media curricular tools to our global audience of 4.5 million educators and 45 million students.
At Discovery Education, our work is amplified through private sector partnerships with over 75 like-minded companies and organizations bringing concepts of industry (like biotechnology, aerospace, modern agriculture, manufacturing, automotive, etc.) through no-cost, standards-aligned digital resources. With over 25 years of bringing innovative instructional tools and support to classrooms globally alongside industry-leading organizations, Discovery Education is the only organization with the existing infrastructure and educator trust to deliver such an ambitious reimagining of education.
We are always looking for ways for our partners to shed light on their industry and the durable skills needed to compete in today’s global market. Career Connect brings that to scale and empowers employees to feel the intrinsic value of leveraging their unique story to make a difference. Organizations partnering with Discovery Education to bring Career Connect are poised to improve employee engagement by simplifying skills-based volunteerism and offering employees rewarding experiences. Research demonstrates that employee volunteerism increases engagement, productivity, and overall sense of company mission.
And, for students, they learn the ‘why’ behind what they are learning in school in order to build on their transferrable skills as they grow in life and in their careers. Career Connect will assist with career exploration, equipping students with connections to the skills and knowledge they need to pursue their desired careers effectively by introducing them to the industry professionals they want to become. It’s an invaluable resource that helps classrooms explore different industries and career paths, ultimately helping them make informed decisions about their futures.
Today’s K-12 educators are in desperate need of meaningful and easy-to-implement career connectivity options. Likewise, the private sector seeks to build a future-ready workforce, highlight career opportunities, and drive social impact. Career Connect is the solution.
Amy Nakamoto
The post Bringing Industry Innovators to Classrooms with Career Connect by Discovery Education appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post Empowering Futures: A Celebration of Workforce Development appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>September is Workforce Development Month! This month is a time dedicated to recognizing the efforts of individuals and organizations committed to fostering a skilled and adaptive workforce. We celebrate initiatives that aim to enhance job training, promote lifelong learning, and bridge the gap between education and employment. It’s not just about filling positions; it’s about empowering people with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-evolving job market. And at Discovery Education, developing the future workforce is a priority every month of the year – not just during Workforce Development Month.
By partnering with global brands who share our visions of building an impactful workforce, we’re working to prepare students for the future through real-world learning opportunities that bridge industries to classrooms and nurture students’ career curiosity. Join us as we explore how these collaborations are shaping the future of work and preparing students for successful careers.
Why Workforce Development Matters
Workforce development is more than a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative for businesses and communities alike. By investing in workforce development, we ensure that individuals have the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to excel in their careers. This, in turn, leads to a more dynamic and resilient economy. Let’s take a closer look at why fostering workforce development is crucial.
Enhances Employability
Workforce development initiatives improve employability by equipping individuals with the skills demanded by today’s job market. Through targeted training programs, people can stay current with industry trends and technologies, making them more competitive job candidates.
Bridges Skill Gaps
One of the primary goals of workforce development is to bridge skill gaps within industries. By identifying areas where there is a shortage of qualified professionals, we can create educational programs and partnerships that address these deficiencies, ensuring a well-rounded and capable workforce.
Boosts Economic Growth
A well-developed workforce is a key driver of economic growth. When businesses have access to skilled workers, they can expand and innovate more effectively. This not only benefits the companies themselves but also stimulates local economies and creates more job opportunities.
Strategies for Fostering Career Readiness in K-12 Students
Preparing K-12 students for the workforce of tomorrow is essential toward workforce development. Early exposure to various career paths and skill-building opportunities can set the foundation for lifelong success. Here’s how we work with corporate partners to foster career readiness among young learners.
Connecting Industry Professionals to Classrooms
Bringing industry professionals into the classroom creates a vibrant bridge between education and the real world. This connection offers students a unique opportunity to engage with individuals who are actively shaping their fields, allowing them to ignite their curiosity and gain insights that go beyond traditional lessons.
Our Career Connect platform offers industry professionals an easy-to-use virtual platform to bring their unique expertise to classrooms across the country, inspire students from all backgrounds, and help develop the future workforce. In addition to virtually bringing professionals to classrooms, Career Connect features resources from our partner Lyda Hill’s IF/THEN® collection. Educators can access a digital library of videos and instructional resources that authentically highlight women in STEM careers – making it even more seamless for educators to expose their students to a wide variety of career possibilities.
Creating Engaging, Career-Specific Classroom Content
Our corporate partners play a pivotal role in advancing workforce development through their innovative initiatives and unwavering commitment to education. We collaborate to develop engaging and relevant curriculum materials that spark career curiosity. These resources empower students to explore different career paths, see the real-world impact of their education, and gain a deeper understanding of the industries they may work in one day.
- The STEM Careers Coalition provides ready-to-use activities, career videos, and accompanying resources that encourage exploration of the vast opportunities in STEM-related fields.
- Takeda’s Better Health in Action career profiles and activities take students inside the lives of passionate health professionals who leverage STEM skills to strengthen communities and create more equitable health outcomes.
- The Country Music Association’s Working in Harmony program allows students to explore the world of Country Music through video activity bundles. Learners can delve into various career opportunities available and learn what it takes to be one of the creative professionals working behind the scenes as well as on the stage.
- Career Tours by Amazon are free, interactive virtual field trips that teachers can share with their students to inspire them to pursue careers of the future by showcasing the real-life people and cutting-edge technology behind Amazon’s innovations.
- Trane’s Sustainable Futures program offers career tours that take students inside the world of Trane Technologies, where employees across various fields work to create comfortable, energy-efficient indoor environments.
This Workforce Development Month, we acknowledge that workforce development is a continuous effort. By investing efforts into bridging industry to classroom and creating career-specific educational resources, we can help ensure that students are equipped with the curiosity, knowledge, and skills needed to excel in the future workforce. We invite you to join us in celebrating Workforce Development Month by exploring how our corporate partnerships are making a difference in classrooms across the country. Together, we can create a brighter future for the next generation of workers.
The post Empowering Futures: A Celebration of Workforce Development appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>